Rule or measure



C. ROSS.

Measuring Machine.

No. 3.590D Paltemed'` May 17, 1844.

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`CHARLES Ross, or PIQUA, OHIO.

RULE OR MEASURE FOB, BOARDSQLEATHEIL 66C.

Specification of LettersIatent No. 3,590,da.ted May 117,"1844- To all whom z' may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES Ross, of Piqua, inthe county of Miami and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful `Ma.-

chine for the Measurement of Boards, Plank, and other Lumber, called a Revolving Board-Brum and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactl description ofthe construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the "accompanyingdrawings and tables, making a part of this specification, in which- "Figure l is an outside view of the fro-nt and bottom, and Fig. 2 an outside View of the back and top.

A in ig. 1, represents the brass front, fastened to the frame of the machine, `by screws. Y

AB in the same figure, represents an aper?y ture, through which appears a `revolving brass milled circle, called a traverse wheel, whose circumference is designated by `the dotted lines .7) and which protrudes at C,

through an opening in the brass piece c, in` serted in the bottom of the-machine. On

the surface of this brass `.wheel is a smaller `thin wooden circle, fastened to the brass4 wheel, byrivets, on `which is `pasted the en-` gravedtable X, which is, a representation of the common board rule in a. circular? forni. The outer circle of -t-he `table is `divided into l2 inches and their parts, so kthat one revolution of-this wheel, measures one linearlfoot.

D inthe same figure, is a graduated index two others,similar to which, Vappearin `containing figures denoting the length of the surfaces whose contents are to be calculated.

Ewhich appears in Figs. 2, 3, i and 5 is a crank which turns a metal shaft F, (which is 2 inches between its bearings) in Figs. 3

top. See Fig. 2Q

`and 4. At the other end of this shaft is i the traverse wheel.

*G represents an endless left handed screw cut midway between the ends of the shaft and upon it, which works a vertical brass cog-wheel, 1% inches in diameter, fastened to which, by a horizontal shaft K, is

a wooden cylinder H, .whose diameter is 1115 inches which revolves with it, and is visible, in the'machine through an aperture at the 0n this shaft K, which is et?, inches between its bearings, and near its left end, is cut another right handed endless screw-L, similar tothe one at G, which turns the cog wheel M, which together with the vertical wooden cylinder N, (a2 of an inch in diameter) revolves, in a brass strap O fastened toftlie frame Pbymea-ns offrivetsi This -cylinder appears in the machine `through the 'lower aperture in F ig. 2, and

its shaft measures 2% inches between its bearings. y

P is a brass frame, `fastenedtothe front piece atop, made of one entire piece of metal and theback part ofwhich appears at P in uFig. o.

Q, `is a friction spring, `fixedbetween the i brass front and `thetraverse wheel, which are of an inch apart, to preventthebrass wheel `from moving too freely and "to give it steadiness.

fR is aV reporting spring, which marksthe end of every revolution` of the cylinder N.

On the cylinder H is pasted the engraved table Yand on the cylinder N, the table Z.

on thetable of the traverse wheel must be 'brought under the edgeiof the index, and

in'thispcsition, aline drawn on each cylinder,under`the edge of its index, willbe the commencing point for the tables.

The machine may be employed for calculating any superficial measure. To set it `for use, the traverse wheel, must be turned bymeans ofthe crank until the black line `passing fromthecenter ofthe wheel tothe `l2 inch `mark on the circumference, coincideswith the edge of the'brass index and the line immediately under the row ofligures on each cylindercommencing with the "highest ligure, in the left hand column, coincides with the edge of its index.` It must beheld in the `right hand, with the brass lfro-nt toward you, placingthat part of the traverse-wheel, immediatelyunder the head of the arrow (in Fig. 1,) upon the point of commencement. The instrument must then 'be pushed in a straightlinein the direction `to 4be measured, over the surface. `Each revolutionof the traverse wheel, measures one linear foot, which is registered on the cylinder'H bythe turning up of thefirst row of *figures i The left hand row of "figures in tableY on cylinder' H counts the number of revolutions made by the traverse wheel, up to 36, when the cylinder itself has made one complete revolution. `This revolution of the cylinder H is then registered by the `tableK on :cylinder N, which has turned so asto show the row of figures coin- Before these are pasted on, the12 inch mark i i iio ' mencing with 1, and when the cylinder H l revolved once.

' 12 times 36 feet or 432 fee-t. If in crossing a surface, the lcylinder N has revolved once entirely, the cylinder H -shows in the left hand column, the. figure 18, andthe undex on the brass front covers' the line. marked by the Fig. 11, on the outer circle of the traverse wheel, we may know, that the rule has measured, adistance of 450 feet and 11 inches. OneV revolution of cylinder N, 432 feet; one half revolution of cylinder H, 18 feet; 11 inches on traverse wheel, 11 inches; total 450 feet, 11 inches. This is its method of linear measurement.

To calculate any speriicial measurement it is necessary first to measure the length of the surface, inthe above manner. Then the wheel cylinders `must be adjusted as has been shown, at the beginning `of the tables. Then the Width of the surface must be measured in the same manner and that figure, in the uppermost row on the cylinder, opposite the figure on the index which denotes the length of the surface, will be its superficial content. Thus if a surface 17 feet long,

should measure 36 in width, that figure in the row beginning with 36, (which would be the uppermost row), opposite to the figure 17, (the length) in the index, would be its superficial measurement, viz., 612 square feet.

It will be perceived that the index to cylinder H contains no figures between 1 and 9 or over 18. In order to measure the superficies of a surface, whose length is greater than 18 feet, it would only be necessary to divide its length into two factors, one of which should be between 9 and 18 feet and taking that for the length and measuring the corresponding superficial area, to multiply the quantity found, by the remaining factor. Thus the superficial measurement of a surface 35 feet wide by 20 long, would be twice the superficial area of one, feet wide by 10 long, viz.,- 2 350=700 eet.

When the widths amount to more than 36 feet, the areas are to be found in the table on the cylinder N. Thus suppose boards of 14 feet length are measured to 72 feet wide. Tn going over 36 feet the cylinder H makes one revolution and in going over 72 feet, of course, just makes two. Now as each revolution of the cylinder H is registered in the table on cylinder N its second revolution will exhibit on cylinder N the row of figures commencing with 2, andthe figure in that row, corresponding to the figure 14 on the index, viz, 1008, will be the contents of the superficies.

A compound calculation by the use of both cylinders maybe illustrated in this way. Tn measuring plank 12 feet long, their widths amount to 89 feet. In measuring this 89 feet, the cylinder H makes two entire revolutions at the end of 72 feet which are marked by the turning up of the second row of figures on cylinder N, and a part of another revolution, turning up its 17th row of figures.

The area of 72 ft. by 12, shown on cylinder N is 864 feet; the area of 17 feet by 12, shown on cylinder H is 204 feet; making a total of 1,068 sq. feet.

This operation might be made still more complex, by supposing the widths to have been 89 feet and 11 inches, the length being 12 feet. The contents of 72 ft. by 12, on

cylinder N, would be 864 feet; the contents Y of 17 ft. by 12, on cylinder H, would be 11 inches further, the traverse wheel would not have made one entire revolution, but

senting the length, denotes the product of Y 11 inches by 12 feet, viz., 11 feet, which being added to the above makes 1,079 sq. feet.

Each one of the circles on the table X on the traverse wheel, is divided into as many feet and parts of feet, as there are feet in two lengths of the surface to be measured, denoted by the corresponding figures on the brass index. Thus in arsurface 1 foot long, there are 12 parts, marked on the outer circle; in a surface 18 feet long there are 18 parts with their subdivisions, marked on the circle correspon-ding to the figure 18 on the index, the outer circle being in inches, the rest in feet. This table is used entirely for calculating theV superficial contents of surfaces whose widths are feet and inches or inches only. Thus the area of a surface 18 feet long and 10 inches wide is found by turning the traverse wheel, till the 10 inch mark coincides With the edge of the indexand the figure (15) immediately opposite the figure denoting the length, (18) expresses the number of square feet in the surface. So the number of square feet in a board 15 feet long and 10 inches wide is 1245. Y

It may sometimes be desirable to measure surfaces whose length may be less than 9 feet. In order to do this, I propose constructing a machine Vexactly on this prin- 1 85 204 feet; total, 1,068 sq. feet. Now in going Y umnsfor the figures from 1 to 9 and their multiples, `so that the cylinder H will commence itscalculation When the other ceases.

lhen the measurement is fractional both Ways the calculation may be made by adding the inches of one part to those of the other and counting as if this had been the actual measurement. Thus suppose that, on trial, a surfaceshould be found to be 17 feet 5 inches in length and `35 ft. 6 inches `in Width. By looking on the cylinder H,

alongthe 35th row at the figure 17 on the index, We find the contents of a surface 35 ft. Wide and 17 ft. long to be 595 sq. feet, and adding the 5 inches to the 6 and turning on the traverse Wheel, to the 11 inch mark, We find at the figure 17 on the index the square feet in a surface 17 feet long and 11 inches Wide to be 15 ft. 7 inches,.. making the Whole 610 ft. 7 inches.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl The combination of the common board rule with the self calculating cylinders, and their combined application to the measure- 25 ment of plane surfaces in general, but more particularly to the measurement of the superficial contents of boards, plank and lumber.

CHARLES Ross.

Writnesses: THos. S. MATTHEW, WARNER SPENCER. 

